Sting/GIF Research

A sting/GIF is a video no longer than 10-15 seconds, they can be animation, stop-motion (with 3D objects) and more. To create a sting you have to be creative and think outside the box with the idea. A sting can be used to advertise the company in a short amount of time. It can be used multiple times and if it is memorable then it is more effective. An example of a company that uses stings for advertising is the channel E4 with the use of their ‘estings’.

The way that E4 is effective with the use of stings for their brand is that they hold competitions for the viewers to send in their ideas and their stings. The winners of the competitions will then feature on the TV for their channel. This is a very good idea from E4 as it provides a good variety of creativity.

Screenshots from E4 estings:

Traditional Animation Techniques

Two traditional methods/techniques for animation include the ‘Zoetrope’ and ‘Rotoscoping’.

A zoetrope is a pre-film animation device that uses a sequence of drawings or photographs showing phases of motion (e.g. horse running) and produces the illusion of motion. You would look through the gaps and see the images appear to be moving when the zoetrope is spun round. The device is rather clever but not needed anymore in this generation, for the development of the film industry. An example of a zoetrope below:

Rotoscoping is where animators trace over motion picture footage frame by frame. To begin with, photographed live-action movie images were projected onto a glass panel and re-drawn by an animator. This projection equipment is known as a Rotoscope. This technique was eventually replaced by the use of computers but the term is still used within the visual effects industry. An example of a rotoscope below:

Creating my own GIF/Animation

It’s simple and not perfect, I’m not able to insert a video onto my blog, but the animation does work. The improvement would be adding more frames for smoother transitions.